Process for making and treating textiles and the products produced



y 1943- c. s. FRANCIS, JR 2,319,809 PROCESS FOR MAKING AND TREATING TEXTILES AND THE PRODUCTS PRODUCED Filed Dec. 22, 19s9 INVENTOR 642L570 5 flaw/0.: J

Patented May 25,1943

PROCESS FOR MAKING AND TREATIN TEX- TILES AND THE PRODUCT S PRODUCEDQ Carleton S. Francis, Jr., Chestnut Hill, Pa., assignor to Sylvania Industrial Corporation, Fredericksbur'g, Va., a corporation of Virginia Application December 22, 1939, Serial No. 310,533

20 Claims.

. The invention relates in general to textiles and, in particular, to a method for stabilizing the structure and form of fabrics and to the stabilized textiles produced, and includes correlated improvements designed to enhance the characteristics and uses of such textiles. 1

In the conventional method of knitting and weaving fabrics, the yarns are subjected to tension. This is done to secure proper operation of the knitting and weaving machines and to secure uniformity in the finished product. and yarns constituting the fabric in its unfinished state (i. e., in greige goods) are in a condition of stress or stretch, and. hence tend to shrink under any circumstances that permit or facilitate movement and contraction of the fibres.

Fabrics made in such a manner exhibit the tendency to shrink when subjected to wet treatment such as may be encountered in finishing operations. However, by the conventional methods of handling fabrics; part or all of the shrinkge so acquired may be offset or lost through mechanical strain and stretch that the fabric encounters in passing through these operations. Consequently, when the goods are again wet out, such as in laundering. they will again exhibit the tendency to shrink either in the warp direction or filling direction or both, dependent on the degree of stretch rresent after finishing. The'tendency to shrink will continue until the stretched condit on of both the warp and filling threads, has been relieved or until a balanced state of weaving contraction is obtained.

It has been proposed to provide a method of treatment that will shrink the fabric in both 5 d rect ons. in a manner analogous to the. shrink-' age otherwise occurrring in th laundering, washing or other cleaning processes. This methad is predicated upon the determination that the causes of shrinkage in a fabric subjected to full laundry treatment are mostly mechanical in effect. The process is, therefore, adapted to mechanically rearrange th fibers and to alter the crimp in the yarns of the fabric to the same extent that these fibers would rearrange themselves and the yarns be crimped if subjected to full laundry washing.

Basically, this process comprises the steps of determin ng the change in dimension that will take place in the fabric when it is subjected to washing. then mechanically shrinking the fabri down to the dimens'ons so ind cated, and ilnally complet ng the finish ng operation without disturbing these dimensions.

Moreover, prior methods of shrinking fabrics The fibres have never been entirely successful when the fabric has been composed, in whole or in part of artificial fibers, in particular of cut staple rayon. Owing to th swelling and shrinking which artificial filaments undergo on being wetted and dried, fabrics made of such filamentsdo not retain the condition produced by the preshrinking operation. However, even with fabrics made of natural fibers, suchas cotton, the prior methods of preshrinking have not given results which were entirely permanent.

Furthermore, the stresses which fabrics under.- go duringwear and laundering frequently produce objectionable distortions even though such fabrics have been preshrunk by prior methods. Therefore, it is desirable to provide fabrics which are characterized by having a substantial permanent resistanc to distortions of all types in order to preserve a desired structure, form and character in the textile.

On the other hand, it is frequently desired to impart to fabrics a predetermined structure or shape designed to enhance its general utility or to render the textile adapted for some special uses. For example, it is desirable to provide a fabric having a predetermined and definite residual shrinkage so-that the fabric will maintain its shape and structure during wear and laundering. 1

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a stabilized textile having a, predetermined structure which is permanent.

It is another object to provide a method for setting and fixing the dimensions of fabrics in a predetermined manner.

It is another object to provide a method for fixing a predetermined structure, stretch and/or shrinkage in fabrics.

It is a specific object to provide a method for establishing a permanent and predetermined residual shrinkage in textiles.

It is a further specific object to preshrink fabrics comprising artificial filaments, in particular, cut staple rayon, and to render the shrunk condition substantially permanent.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

In the practice of the invention, the permanently preshrunk fabrics are made by mixing made therefrom, fixing the shrunk structure by heating the thermoplastic fibres to render them tacky while the fabric is in its shrunk condition to effect a substantially permanent adhesion of fibres in the fabric. The singles yarn may be prepared from the fibre mixture in accordance with the process disclosed in the co-pending U. 8. applications Serial No. 157,018, filed August 2nd, 1937, now Patent No.2,253,000 and Serial No. 201, 851, filed April 13th, 1938, now Patent No. 2,252,-

' 999. Such singlesyarn may be used for making plied yarn, thread, cords, and fabrics of all kinds. The shrinkage of the fabric may be partial or complete or to any predetermined amount, and

may be efiected' on woven, knitted, netted or, 'other fabrics in one or more dimensions. The

expression "shrinking" is intended to include all physical or mechanical changes in fibre size, length and crimp and changes in yarn length, crimp and displacement in fabrics which produce a decrease in dimension or contraction in the fabric.

The invention accordingly comprises a Process having the steps and the relation of steps one to another and an article having the elements, relation of elements and the characteristics and properties all as hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be exemplified in the claims.

For a more complete understanding or the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in ,which,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical representation of suitable means for carrying out one embodiment of the process of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of a fabric before and after shrinkage in the process of the invention; and v Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a fabric after shrinkage in one dimension in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. V

For the non-adhesive textile fiber there may be used any suitable natural or synthetic fibres of textile-making length, for example cotton, fiax, Jute, and other vegetable fibers; wool, hair, silk and other animal fibers; asbestos, glass, mineral wool; also artificial fibers or filaments formed of cellulose compounds, such as regenerated cellulose or cellulos hydrate of all kinds,

cellulose derivatives, such as the esters, the ethers, whether soluble in water, alkali or organic solvents, mixed cellulose ethers, mixed cellulose ester-ethers, hydroxy-alkyl and carboxy-alkyl ethers of cellulose and xanthates 01' the cellulose ethers, cellulose thiourethanes, cellulose xanthofatty acids, and fibers formed from natural or synthetic resins of all kinds, which resinous fibers should be of the type that will not be rendered tacky at the temperatures employed to render the thermoplastic fibers tacky.

The potentially adhesive fiber may comprise any thermoplastic synthetic resinous material or thermoplastic non-fibrous cellulosic material capable of being formed into fiber which have an inherent tackiness upon heating to a temperature below that at which the textile fibers are damaged or rendered tacky and which are nontacky at room temperature such, for example, as the resins formed by the polymerization of various organic compounds such as cumarone, indene hydrocarbons, vinyl, styrene, sterol aldehyde. furfural, ketones, urea, thiourea, phenolaldehyde resins, either alone or modified with oils, urea-aldehyde resins, amine-aldehyde resins.

sulfonamide-aldehyde resins, polyhydric alcoholpolybasic acid resins, drying oil-modified alkyd resins, resins formed from acrylic acid, its homologues and their derivatives, sulfur-olefine resins, resins formed from dicarboxylic acids and diamines (nylon type); fibres formed from syn- I thetic or artificial rubber such for example as polymerized butadiene, olefine-polysulfides, e. g. "Thiokol," isobutylene polymers, chloroprene polymers and polyviny1-halides,e. g. "Koroseal" fibres formed from a resin comprising the product of copolymerizing two or more resins, such. for example, as co-polymers of vinyl halide and vinyl acetate, co-polymers of vinyl halide and an acrylic acid derivative, co-polymers of vinyl compound and styrol compound; and also fibres formed from a. mixture of resins, such for example-as a mixture of vinyl resins and acrylic acid resins or methacrylic acid resins, a mixture of polyolefine resins and phenol-aldehyde resins, or a mixture of two or more resins from the different classes Just named.

The thermoplastic resins above mentioned may be classified as:

(a) Heat-non-convertible resins such for example as glycol polybasic acid resins, vinyl resins and the acid type phenol-aldehyde resins, and the like.

(b) Heat-convertible resins such for example as a glycerol-polybasic acid resin, polyolefine resins, phenolaldehyde resins and the like.

(0) An element-convertible resin (which becomes'infusible through the action of certain elements, such as oxygen and sulphur), such for example as glycerol-polybaslc acid-drying oil resins and olefine sulphur resins.

Inaddition to the synthetic resins, there may be employed for the potentially adhesive fibre, a fibre formed irom a thermoplastic cellulose derivative such, for example, as a cellulose ester, a cellulose ether, a mixed cellulose ester-ether, a mixed cellulose ether, a hydroxy-alkyl or a carboxy-a'lkyl ether of cellulose, a cellulose ether xanthate, Or a cellulose thiourethane. In' particular, the thermoplastic cellulose derivative fibre may be a fibre of cellulose acetate, cellulose acid resin, or an organic soluble cellulose ether and a vinyl resin; also fibres formed from polyamide resins such as those formed from polybasic acids and aliphatic diamines (nylon type), either unstretched or prestretched; and fibres formed from a natural or synthetic rubber and rubber derivatives.

For the thermoplastic fibre, it is preferred to employ a resin fibre because the resin fibres. as compared to the cellulose derivative fibres, are tougher and harder, become tacky at lower temperatures and cool to form tough or pliable prod- Moreover, the resin fibres are inert to acids, alkalies and dry cleaning fluids, and are not water-swelling. This latter property prevents distortion of the adhesive bond, tends to stabilize the twist and shrinkage of the fabric, and the adhesive is more permanent so that the wet and dry tensile strength of the adhesive bond will be substantially the same. Finally, the resin fibres exhibit, particularly when plasticized, a high tensile strength and a true elasticity. Dractically as great as that of natural silk.

. in the other set.

Thenon-adhesive textile fibres and/or the potentially adhesive fibres may be prestretched from yarns comprising at least two dissimilar types of fibres at. least one of which type is potentially adhesive.

The mixing of the dissimilar fibres may be carried out in a suitable manner such, for example, asby blending at least two types of fibres before and/or during carding, combing, drafting, but before completion of the spinning of the fibres into asingles yarn. Thus the two types of fibres may be mixed and fed. together into a carding machine; or slivers are made from each type independently and the slivers combined by drafting and spinning into a yam. Alternatively, a yarn containing the potentially adhesive fibre may be twisted or doubled with another yarn of similar type or with a yarn not containing potentially adhesive fibres.

The invention is particularly adapted for permanently controlling or fixing a shrimk condition in a fabric comprising yarns made from nonadhesive and potentially adhesive fibres mixed together before the completion of the spinning of the yarn.

The relative proportions, of the non-adhesive textile fibres and of the potentially adhesive fibres may be varied in accordance.with their properties, the nature of treatment, the'intended use of the finished product and the characteristics desired therein. The mixture of fibres may be spun into yarns and threads and fabricated into fabrics in a known manner.

method can be used for shrinking knitted fabrics in one dimension.

2. By moistening and stretching the moist fabric in one dimension while permitting or con- In its broad aspects the process of the invention is applicable for permanently fixing the structures and form of fabrics after they have been modified by shrinking.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular method or apparatus for carrying out the shrinking of the present DIOCGSS. shrinking operation involved in the present invention are shown in U. S. Patents Nos. 1,98 ,720, 1,988,376, 2,021,975, and 2,052,948. By way of illustration, but not by way of limiting the invention, the following methods may be employed for shrinking fabrics in accordance with the present invention:

Stretching a moistened fabric in one dimension while permitting or controlling the shrinkage in another dimension. In this embodiment a woven fabric is subjected to moisture and preferably a suitable activating agent and thereafter stretched in the direction of one of its constituent sets of yarns, either warp or weft, while leaving the other set free from tension or under a limited tension and drying the fabric while maintaining the tension on the one set of yarns. The stretching of the one set of yarns causes a contraction and increased crinkle or undulation of the yarns The shrinking is carried out while the thermoplastic fibres are in a tacky condition and the adhesive material is rendered nontacky while the one set of yarns is maintained under tension. The increased crinkle or shrunk structure is rendered substantially permanent by the adhesion of the fibres in the fabric. This Suitable means for carrying out the trolling the shrinkage of the fabric in the other dimension whereby the unstretched yarns acquire additional crinkle, drying the fabric while under tension, again moistening the fabric while free of tension to cause a swelling of the yarns and a consequent shrinkage of the first stretched yams, and again drying the fabric under pressure, but free of tension. In this embodiment the potentially adhesive fibres are preferably rendered tacky during or after the final drying step. By this method a fabric can be permanently shrunk in two dimensions.

3. By moistening a fabric, mechanically com-- pressing the moistened and preferably activated fabric in one dimension whereby the yarns acquire additional crinkle, maintaining the fabric under pressure while drying the fabric. activation of the potentially adhesive fibres may take place before, during or after the drying step, and the deactivation of the fabric may take place after the drying by cooling while the fabric'is maintained in the pro-shrunk condition. One embodiment of suitable means for carrying out the shrinking in this process is disclosed in U.'S Patent No. 1,861,422. f

4. By moistening a fabric while maintaining one yarn system under tension and permitting or controlling the shrinkage of the other yarn system, that is, by permitting the other yarns to crinkle, thereafter mechanically compressing the yarn system previously maintained under tension to shrink that system by increasing the yarn crinkle or undulation. One embodiment of suitable means for carrying out the shrinking in this process is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,861,423.

render them tacky before, during or after shrinking the fabric, preferably squeezing the fibres-toa gether as by pressing, and deactivating the fabric while in the shrunk condition and form to effect a substantially permanent adhesion between the fibres and to setthe yarn relationships.

The thermoplastic fibres are rendered tacky by use of hot air, hot water or by contact with hot surfaces, with or without the addition of a solvent or plastic zer, and with or without the use of pressure.

While the fibre are in an adhesive condition,

the fabric preferably !s subjected to a squeezing or compacting treatment to promote adhesion of the associated'fibres at their points of contact as by passing the fabric between pressure rollers. The squeezing may be effected by the means employed for mechanically shr nking fabric as described hereinafter.

Deactivation may be accomplished by heating to a higher temperature, as in the case of a heatconvertlble resin fibre, or by cooling, as in the The case of a thermoplastic resin or cellulose derivafibres, the plasticizer may serve, in addition, to

modify the thermal softening point. The plasticized thermoplastic fibres can be rendered cementitious by heating to a temperature below that at which the non-thermoplastic textile fibres in the textile would be detrimentally affected by such heating. After the textiles have been shrunk and deactivated theplasticizer may be allowed to remain in the textile or it maybe removedby suitable mean such as washing and extraction. The removal of the plasticizer will raise the temperature at which thermoplastic material in the textile will again be rendered soft and cementitious, thus adapting the textile for use at more elevated temperatures than would be the case if the plasticizer were present. The plasticizer may serve also as a shrinking agent or as a latent activating agent for the thermoplastic fibres. I

The activation of the thermoplastic fibres takes place preferably before the shrinking operation occurs and the fabrics are subjected to the shrinking operations while the thermoplastic fibres are in an activated condition. The deactivation of the adhesive or adhesive fibres takes place while the fabric is maintained in the shrunk condition. .If the fabric is to be shrunk in two dimensions, the deactivation of the adhesive or of the adhesive fibres preferably takes By way of illustrating, but not by way of limiting the invention, there wil1 be given a number of examples. 7

Example I ric is then subjected to a shrinking operation to distribute the weaving contraction between the warp and the filling in a desired manner by one place after the completion of both shrinking operations while the fabric is in a relaxed state or under controlled tension. The shrunk structure should not be placed under distorting tensions during the deactivation treatment. For inheating or cooling, the fabricmay be passed over a heated orcooled drum in the manner just described or over a series ofrollers which are heated or cooled by known means.

The properties of the finished product depend upon various factors, such as the nature and proportion of thermoplastic fibres; the extent of the activation thereof; and the tacky condition of the fibres during squeezing or pressing and the nature of the deactivation and the extent of shrinking. The extent of activation may be varied considerably, depending upon the relative proportions of the types of fibers, the properties of the thermoplastic fibres, and the stance, if the deactivation is to take place by effect desired in the product. The thermoplastic fibres may be rendered superficially adhesive; or rendered plastic and tacky without losing their fibrous form; or made to lose-their fibrous structure and form an adhesive. The tacky thermoplastic fibres will cohere to each other and adhere to the other fibres to fix the position thereof to give a product having increased tensile strength and lower stretch and shrinkage. If the activattion is such as to form an adhesive, the adhesive will cause the other fibres to be permanently adhered and the shrunk structure permanently set.

While a knitted fabric has, of course, only one yarn system, it may be shrunk in a manner similar to a woven fabric by one or more of the methods just described which are appropriate therefor and the present inventionis intended to include fixing the shrunk structure of both woven and knitted fabrics.

of the methods above described. While the fabric is held in such contracted condition the fabric is heated to render the ethyl cellulose tacky. While the ethyl cellulose is in a tacky condition. the fabric is subjectedto pressure. While the fabric isheld in the shrunk condition, the fabric is cooled thereby rendering the ethyl cellulose non-tacky and creating a permanent bond between the fibre inthe fabric, thus stabilizing and rendering permanent the weaving contrac- Example II A fabric made from yarns formed from a mixture of 7 parts of resin staple fibres formed from a copolymer of a vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride and 93 parts of viscose rayon staple fibres of similar length is kier-boiled, bleached, washed and dried in a known manner and then subjected to a shrinking treatment by means of a suitable apparatus, such for example as that shown in Fig. 1

of the drawing. Referring to the figure, the dry fabric 1 is passed between the pressure rolls 2 and subjected totension between the rolls 2 and the calender 3 to cause a weaving contraction to take place in the direction of the filling. While the fabric is held to a desired width by means of a suitable tenter frame F, there is applied to it moisture and a plasticizer by means of sprays 4 and l. The plasticizer is any suitable substance which is miscible with the resin fibres and capable of reducing the temperature at which such fibres become tacky upon heating. The fabric containing moisture and plasticizer is now passed over the calender 3 which is heated to a temperature sufllcient to render the resin fibres tacky. While the resin is in a plastic and tacky condition the fabric is shrunk by passing it between the applicator roll I and the heated ironer 8 which is curved to conform to the arcuate surface of the applicator roll I and fed between an endless blanket I moving in surface contact with a heat-,

contraction temporarily set.

As the fabric I emerges from the blanket 4 and the drum I, at the point P, it is cooled by traverse through the air around rolls II and II or preferably through the cooling chamber I through which cold air is passed. The cooling of the fab-' ric renders the resin non-tacky, thus creating a strong and substantially permanent adhesion between the fibres in the fabric and permanently setting the weaving contraction. Additional pressure may be obtained on the blanket by use of one or more pressure rolls such as roll 9.

While the plasticizer may be allowed to remain in the fabric if it is a non-volatile type, it is desirable in most cases to remove the plasticizer thereby elevating the temperature at which the resin can again be rendered tacky. For this purpose the fabric is passed from the roll I I through a solvent I! of the plasticizer contained ir vessel l3. From the solvent H, the fabric I may be passed to a heated dryer (not shown) of conventional type for the purpose of evaporating the residual solvent. It is desirable in most cases, however, to pass the fabric through a second shrinking apparatus similar to the first apparatus employed as described above and shown in Fig. 1

to correct any slight distortions in the weaving contraction created by passing the fabric through the solvent I2. When the solvent I2 is selected so that it has no swelling action upon any of the fibres in the fabric, little or no distortions will occur during the extraction of the plasticizer-so that the second shrinking step just described may be dispensed with. The shrunk fabric may be passed to a reel or may be subjected to any conventional finishing treatments.

While the fabric is in the shrunk condition, such as that shown in Fig. 3 or in the lower view of Fig. 2, the deactivation of the previously activated adhesive fibres causes the component fibres of the yarn to adhere .to each other. This adherence of the fibres renders permanent the crinkle imparted to the yarn by the shrinking operation and anchors the yarns-to each other in their new relationship. The shrunk condition thus rendered permanent by the deactivation need not'be the ultimate weaving contraction produced by repeated launderings, but may be a shrunk condition intermediate between that of the untreated fabric and. that of the ultimate shrinkage after laundering. This effect is not obtainable by the use of the shrinking operation alone, but only by the use of the combination of the shrinking with the setting operation-of the present invention.

Accordingly, the present invention \provides, inter alia, that a fabric may be shrunk to a predetermined but not necessarily the ultimate shrunk condition, and such shrunk condition rendered permanent so thatthe fabric neither shrinks nor expands to any substantial extent upon laundering, dry cleaning or wearing. Thus, the present invention provides a method for setting and fixing the dimensions of fabrics in a predetermined manner and for establishing a predetermined and residual shrinkage in textiles and these results may be obtained in fabrics made from artificial. filaments, in particular, cut staple rayon, as well as in fabrics made from natural fibres. g

The effect of the combined shrinking and setting operations of the present invention may be illustrated by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The untreated fabric may be represented by the upper view of Fig. 2 in which the weft yarns l5 and the warp yarns 16 show only a slight undulation and the yarns are relatively distant from one another giving the fabric a loose, porous appearance. When the fabric is shrunk in one dimension only, for example, by stretching the weft yarns of a pre-moistened fabric, while permitting or controlling the lengthwise contraction, there is produced a product as shown in Fig. 3, in which the weft yarns I5 lie substantially in the same plane, while the warp yarns are given an increased crinkle and a decreased over-all length If the fabric shown in Fig. 3 be subjected to warpwise shrinkage as by mechanically compressing the warp yarns longitudinally by any suitable method, the warp yarns are given an increased crinkle thus bringing the weft yarns closer to each other. As a result of the longitudinal contraction in the warp and .weft yarns, the final product will have thestruc- 'ture illustrated in the lower'view of Fig. 2 in shown in the accompanying drawing shall be' interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The apparatus described herein is claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 453,285 filed Aug. 1, 1942, and the specific process of rendering the potentially adhesive fibres tacky by means of a solvent is claimed in the co-pending application of Roger Wallach, Serial No. 310,- 539 filed December 22, 1939.

, Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating. comprising shrinking the fabric, fixing the shrunk structure by rendering the thermoplastic fibres' tacky by heating to effect adhesion between fibres in the fabric, and thereafter rendering the tacky material non-tacky.

2. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a, mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating, comprising heating said fabric to render said thermoplastic fibres tacky, shrinking said fabric while said thermoplastic fibres are in a tacky condition as result of heating and fixing the shrunk structure by rendering the tacky material non-tacky.

3. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating, comprising heating th fabric to render said thermoplastic fibres tacky, shrink- 5. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres andf thermoplastic fibre having an inherent" tacki ness upon heating, comprising shrinking a fabric comprising thermoplastic resin fibres and fixing the shrunk structure by efiecting adhesion between the fibres in the fabric by heating the fab ric, and thereafter allowing the fabric to cool to render the tacky material non-tacky.

6. In a process for treating pre-shrunk fabrics heating the thermoplasticfibres in the presence of a plasticizer therefor to effect adhesion between fibres in the fabric and thereafter cooling the fabric to fix the shrunk condition.

"I. A process of treating a fabric comprising fabricating a fabric of yarns spun from amixture of textile fibres and at least one type of thermoplastic fibres, shrinking said fabric, and fixing the shrunk structure by rendering the thermoplastic fibres tacky by heating said fibres in'the presenceof a plasticizer and thereafter removing said plasticizer, and rendering "the tacky ma,- terial non-tacky. a

8. A process of treating fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating, comprising moistening the fabric, stretching the moistened fabric in one dimension while allowing shrinkage of the fabric in the other dimension and maintaining the fabric in said stretched condition while heating the thermoplastic fibres to effect fibre adhesion in the fabric and thereafter cooling the fabric to fix the shrunk structure.

9. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating, comprising moistening the fabric, stretching the moistened fabric in one dimension while allowing shrinkage of the fabric in the other dimension, drying said fabric under tension, again moistening the fabric while the fabric is substantially free of tension to allow the unstretched yarns to swell and shorten thereby causing the stretched yarns to crinkle, heating the thermoplastic fibres to render them tacky and effect fibre adhesion in the fabric, and rendering the tacky material nomtach to fix the shrunk structure. a

10. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplasticfibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating, comprising moistening the fabric, heating the fabric to render the thermoplastic fibres tacky, longitudinally shrinking one of the yarn components by compression while the thermoplastic fibres are in a tacky condition as a result of heating. and maintaining, the fabric in said compressed condition while rendering said tacky material nontacky to effect fibre adhesion in the fabric and fix the shrunk structure.

11. A process of treating a fabric containing yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres having an inherent tackiness upon heating, comprising moistening the qshrunken condition whereby to eifect adhesion fabric, stretching one yarn component of the moistened fabric while allowing shrinkage of the fabric in the other yarn component, drying the 'fabric while in said stretched condition, longitudinally shrinking the previously stretched yarn component by compression, rendering said thermoplastic fibres tacky by heating to effect fibre adhesion in the fabric while the fabric is maintained in said shrunk condition, and rendering said tacky material non-tacky to fix said shrunk structure.

fabric .to combined heat and pressure to render the thermoplastic fibres tacky, thereafter shrinking the fabric while maintaining the thermoplastic material in a plastic condition as a result of heating and rendering the plastic material non-tacky while the fabric is maintained in its of fibres in the fabric.

, 13. A process of treating a fabric containing potentially adhesive fibres, comprising treating the fabric to render said fibres shrinking said fabric while said fibres are in a tacky condition, and fixing'the shrunk structure by rendering the tack material non-tacky to effect adhesion between fibres in the fabric.

14. A pre-shrunk woven fabric having its preshrunk structure rendered substantially permanent by adhesion between fibres in yarns of the fabric resulting from rendering tacky some of the fibres thereof, said fabric being characterized by having the yarn relation therein fixed and different from the yarn relation resulting from the weaving of the yarns.

15. A pre-shrunk woven fabric comprising yarns containing thermoplastic fibres and having its pre-shrunk structure rendered substantially permanent by adhesion between fibres in yarns of the fabric due to the thermal tackiness after heating of said thermoplastic fibres, said fabric being characterized by having the yarn relation therein fixed and diiferent from the yarn relation resulting from'the weaving of the yarns.

v 16. A pre-shrunk woven fabric having its preshrunk structure rendered substantially permashrunk structure rendered substantially permanent by adhesion between fibres in yams of the fabric resulting from rendering tacky some of the fibres thereof, said fabric being characterized by having a warp yarn crinkle greater than in the fabric as initially woven.

18. A pre-shrunk woven fabric having its preshrunk structure rendered substantially permanent by adhesion between fibres in yarns of the fabric resulting from rendering tacky some of the fibres thereof, said fabric being characterized by having the filling yarns positioned closer together and a yarn crinkle greater than in the fabric as woven. 1

19. A preshrunk woven fabric as claimed in claim 14 in which the fabric is formed of yarns spun from a mixture of textile fibres and thermoplastic fibres.

20. A preshrunk woven fabric as claimed in claim 14 in which the thermoplastic fibres are 

